Epic Win: Where’s the Beef?
From Wikipedia:
Clara Peller (August 4, 1902 – August 11, 1987), was an American character actress who, at the age of 81, starred in the 1984 “Where’s the beef?” advertising campaign for the Wendy’s fast food restaurant chain. Peller’s “Where’s the beef” line became an instant catch phrase, with even presidential candidate Walter Mondale using it. Despite the immense popularity of the advertising campaign, Peller was fired by Wendy’s in 1985 after declaring that she had “found the beef” in an advertisement for Prego Plus pasta sauce.
wow…first to blast this one.
Phrase is still used…a great Ad legacy
-Doc
Wasn’t she VP candidate on the Mondale ticket in ‘84?
No, that was Geraldine Ferraro.
Peller, what a tacky fail.
The irony is the line “Where’s the beef?” was not supposed to be the “killer”.
“It’s a nice, fluffy bun” was supposed to be the funny line everyone remembered.
Peller was hard of hearing and so couldn’t tell when to say her line. Someone hunkered down behind the table and yanked on her skirt when it was time for her to speak. She belted out the line and history was made.
And then in later commercials, she muttered, “I don’t think there’s anybody back there…I really don’t!” Too funny.
Sorry, I’m vegetarian…
me too
this was featured in the simpson’s episode ‘please homer dont hammer em’
THAT made me lol ;D
Chuck Norris knows where the beef is!!
is it in his pants?
hmmm!
Hmmm?
hmm
hm
I miss this commercial.
She actually came to my elementary school when I was in 5th grade and gave a speech. Don’t remember what she said, but we all got a photocopied autograph!
Quick, someone take a screenshot of “Nostalgic Win” and submit it to FAILblog
Agreed..
Yes, everybody repeating this saying was almost as bad as the cabbage patch kid craze…hey, why isn’t that on here yet??
the line was turned into a song for a ron jeremy porn too
hmmm, memories hehehe
at last, I understand what homer was going on about.
wat ever happened to the pet rock
There were TWO “Where’s the Beef” commercials; ironically, I liked the other one that no one remembers.
Three or four people are standing in line at the burger factory; at the counter being served is this short, somewhat stocky wimpily unassertive guy. Behind him is this old codger who looks like the old guy with the pitchfork in “American Gothic”.
As the big fluffy bun is opened, the wimp looks down and says “uhhh…”, as the old guy snaps his head back up and snarls, with dentures rattling, “Where’s the Beef?!”
Then the ad went into its selling point before returning to the customers, as the young wimp mumbles “I don’t mean to be rude [or some such, I forget the line but it was there to indicate his utter passivity]…but, where’s the beef?”. As he says “where’s the beef”, the old codger starts nodding and then interjects “The BEEF!”
I saw that version before I saw Clara Peller’s, and to me that will always be “the” version.
The last time I ate at a Wendy’s was May 5th 2003 in Bastrop Texas. Nasty sandwich, nasty fries, nasty soured soft drink.
I got attacked by the tomato sauce there
True Story
*flees*
classic commercial, exploitation of older people? possibly.